MedWorm: Science

Bright-Sized: Skull Study Shows Eye-Sockets Have Grown Larger at Higher Latitudes

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0100

People who live farther from the equator have larger eye sockets than their tropical counterparts, a new study finds. And as people inhabited higher and higher latitudes , eye socket size grew along with the northerly or southerly extent of their migrations. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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Today's mystery bird for you to identify | @GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:30:03 +0100

Parents with chick? Subspecies? One species or two? Or ... ?Mystery Birds photographed at Lake Washington, Seattle, Washington (USA). [I will identify these birds for you in 48 hours]Image: Doug Schurman, 22 January 2012 (with permission) [velociraptorize].Canon 7D with the Canon 400mm f5.6 lens Question: These common North American mystery birds are strikingly different in size despite having the same colours and patterns. Why? Are these parent birds with one of their chicks? Are they different subspecies or are they two different species? Can you identify the taxonomic family and species for these birds?The Rules:1. Keep in mind that people live in zillions of different time zones, and some people are following on their smart phones. So let everyone play the game. Don't spoil it for ever...

Pigeon deterrents: a question of chemistry

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:30:01 +0100

If you want your statues clean (and your pigeons healthy), you just need to make them of bronze laced with arsenicAs the heavens inevitably cover every mountain peak with snow, so do pigeons unstoppably deposit a protective white layer atop every outdoor statue – or so people believed. Yukio Hirose shocked and delighted the world by disproving one of these two supposedly eternal truths. He used arsenic to do it.Chemistry provides a way to communicate certain messages to birds. Yukio Hirose figured this out after he noticed that something, some mysterious who-knows-what, had consistently attracted the attention of one particular group of pigeons.In the Kenroku garden in the city of Kanazawa, Japan, stands a statue of the legendary hero Yamato Takeru no Mikoto. There are many things to adm...

Playing RFID tag with sheets of paper

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:05:01 +0100

Researchers in France have developed a way to deposit a thin aluminum RFID tag onto paper that not only reduces the amount of metal needed for the tag, and so the cost, but could open up RFID tagging to many more systems, even allowing a single printed sheet or flyer to be tagged. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

How To Overhaul the Way Buildings Use Energy

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0100

PHILADELPHIA -- When the Allies needed a weapon terrible enough to end World War II, scientists devised the atomic bomb. When the Soviet Union hurled Sputnik into space, American scientists rallied to build the world's top space program. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Lake Vostok is (Almost) Breached After 20 Million Years

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:58:00 +0100

Satellite composite showing location of Vostok within the Antarctic continent (NASA) Two and a half miles beneath the ice of Antarctica’s central Eastern ice sheet is a body of water 160 miles by 30 miles across known as Lake Vostok , after the Vostok research station above it, built by the former Soviet Union in 1957 and now operated by Russia. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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East views the world differently to West

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:29:29 +0100

Cultural differences between the West and East are well documented, but a study shows that concrete differences also exist in how British and Chinese people recognize people and the world around them. Easterners really do look at the world differently to Westerners, according to new research. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Low levels of lipid antibodies increase complications following heart attack

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:29:29 +0100

Coronary patients with low levels of an immune system antibody called anti-PC, which neutralizes parts of the "bad" cholesterol, run a greater risk of suffering complications following an acute cardiac episode and thus of premature death. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry; +17 new citations

Am J Geriatr Psychia... — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:06:02 +0100

17 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry These pubmed results were generated on 2012/02/06PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources. (Source: Am J Geriatr Psychia...)

Thinking About Mortality Changes How We Act

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0100

The thought of shuffling off our mortal coil can make all of us a little squeamish. But avoiding the idea of death entirely means ignoring the role it can play in determining our actions. Consider the following scenario: [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Am J Trop Med Hyg; +67 new citations

Am J Trop Med Hyg — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:54:02 +0100

67 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: Am J Trop Med Hyg These pubmed results were generated on 2012/02/06PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources. (Source: Am J Trop Med Hyg)

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Children hospitalized at alarming rate due to abuse

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:26:26 +0100

In one year alone, over 4,500 children in the United States were hospitalized due to child abuse, and 300 of them died of their injuries, researchers report in a new study. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Engineers weld nanowires with light

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:26:26 +0100

At the nano level, researchers have discovered a new way to weld together meshes of tiny wires. Their work could lead to exciting new electronics and solar applications. To succeed, they called upon plasmonics. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Combined approach to global health has benefits

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:26:26 +0100

A new analysis demonstrates that confronting several diseases at once is a viable way to make the most of thinly stretched donor dollars and national health care budgets, and help save more lives. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Did your surgeons miss something? New system to prevent retained surgical items

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:25:25 +0100

It may sound like something from a TV medical drama, but the incidence of surgeons leaving something behind in the body is very real at hospitals across the country. But researchers have now created a new system using state-of-the-art technologies to insure that no foreign objects are left behind during surgery. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Positive parenting during early childhood may prevent obesity

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:25:25 +0100

Programs that support parents during their child’s early years hold promise for obesity prevention, according to a new study. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

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Climate Change and Indigenous Rights

AAAS — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:23:36 +0100

AAAS Coalition Explores Perspectives of Indigenous Communities on Climate Change As climate change disrupts environments, it threatens the traditional lifestyle of indigenous peoples. That raises a range of science and human rights issues, speakers said at AAAS. (Source: AAAS)

New genetic discovery could boost treatment for stroke patients

The Independent - Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:13:12 +0100

Scientists have identified a genetic mutation in one of the 23,000 human genes that can double the risk of a stroke, which kills more than six million people worldwide each year and is the second top cause of death in developed countries. (Source: The Independent - Science)

Prediction of Ligand Binding Affinity Using a Multiple-Conformations-Multiple-Protonation Scheme: Application to Estrogen Receptor α.

Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:06:02 +0100

In this study, we have constructed a prediction scheme with target-specific scores for estimating ligand-binding affinities to human estrogen receptor α (ERα), considering the major conformational change between agonist- and antagonist-bound forms and the change in protonation states of histidine at the ligand-binding site. The generated scheme calibrated with fewer training compounds (23 for the agonist-bound form, 17 for the antagonist-bound form) demonstrated good predictive power (a predictive r(2) of 0.83 for 154 validation compounds); this was also true for compounds with frameworks that were quite different from those of the training compounds. Our prediction scheme will be useful in drug development targeting ERα and in primary screening of endocrine disruptors, and provides a s...

Science Weekly podcast: Transplants and the future of intensive care

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:05:00 +0100

This week, we're focusing on some pivotal stories from the history of science and medicine. First up are human-to-human transplants and intensive care medicine. These are among the greatest successes of post-war medicine, but they also raise some of the most profound ethical questions. Ahead of a discussion at the Royal Institution in London, Kevin Fong, an anaesthetist and physiology lecturer at University College London, and medical historian Richard Barnett came into the studio to discuss how these important medical interventions started and, crucially, where they are heading. The debates will be held at the Royal Institution on 28 February. "From iron lungs to intensive care", "Hearts to hearts" will be on 15 February.The Observer's science editor, Robin McKie, was on hand to delve int...

Eyeing Greener Acres, New Farmers Reap Growing U.S. Aid

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:14:00 +0100

By Carey Gillam HALLSVILLE, Missouri (Reuters) - Dan Pugh wishes he had a bigger tractor and his wife Laura worries about their chickens in the winter weather. But as new farmers putting down roots in rural Missouri, the Pughs are counting on more rewards than regrets in trading their city lives for the country. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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Swept From Africa to the Amazon (preview)

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

The Bodele depression at the southern edge of the Sahara is a fearsome, forsaken place. Winds howl through the nearby Tebesti Mountains and Ennedi Plateau, picking up speed as they funnel into a parched wasteland nearly the size of California. Once there was a massive freshwater lake here. Now the lake is a shrunken puddle of its former self. Across most of the landscape, there is nothing. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Spectacular Plumes of Dust Reach Across the World

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

We don't hear too much about natural dust, the kind that the winds loft from deserts and dry lakebeds into the air and carries for hundreds of kilometers, crossing oceans and continents, but we should. Plumes of dust connect the atmosphere, the oceans and the forests, and affect the most fundamental processes of life on our planet. Scientists believe that dust has profound and somewhat mysterious influences on atmospheric chemistry, solar heat exchange and nutrient supply to the oceans and rain forests. What those influences are, exactly, is the subject of much study and is still somewhat mysterious--the story of dust shows just how complex our natural world is, and how difficult it is to understand it. For more, see our February feature story, 'Swept From Africa to the Amazon '...

Magic mushrooms, international law and the failed 'war on drugs'

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:36:26 +0100

Recent research suggesting potential therapeutic benefits of psilocybin focus attention on the need to reform drug lawsIt's been a busy fortnight. First the publication of two major peer-reviewed research papers about magic mushrooms that attracted worldwide publicity. Then off to Prague for an international drugs policy symposium. And just last week, news of a large grant for our next collaborative study with Imperial College. But I'm getting ahead of myself.I established the Beckley Foundation some 14 years ago as a think tank on drugs policy. It was apparent even then that the "war on drugs" had failed. A 1997 report by the United Nations Drugs Control Programme put the value of the global trade in illicit drugs at around $400bn. Recent UN figures show that global production of opium (u...

Kolavari Di: how India's 'Tamglish soup song' went viral | Priya Virmani

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:35:00 +0100

A nonsensical Indian song about love and loss became an internet sensation overnight. What lies behind its success?A senseless Tamglish "soup song" sung by a "soup boy" instantly makes it to the echelons of global fame. Is this where the 21st-century psyche has led us?I hear you ask: Tamglish? Soup song? Soup boy? If you happen to be among those not quite abreast of the latest internet trends, Tamglish is a conflation of the south-Indian language Tamil and English. For those who are up to speed, it is synonymous with Kolavari Di – a song of rejection hummed by an inebriated jilted lover. A soup song sung by a soup boy. The song was released on YouTube last November, and the first two weeks of its life saw it clock up over 10m views. This week, it surpassed 41m views.Kolavari Di, a monike...

Let the country, not the City, drive the UK economy | Colin Tudge

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:02:51 +0100

In one Oxfordshire village, an idea is gathering traction: that it's time for a new agricultural revolutionOxford city council has decided that we need more houses and jobs – not least in my own village of Wolvercote, to the north-west of the city. Under the coalition's neighbourhood development order (part of the localism bill) we, the yokels, the ordinary Joes, have some say in what should be done.So now we plot and ponder in the village hall – and we are witnessing what I hope will prove to be a seismic shift in public mood, in the economy, and in the balance of power. For more and more people are beginning to feel that "development" shouldn't mean more of the same – more city-bound jobs and city-sprawl. Instead what we need is an agrarian renaissance: small-scale farming, includi...

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Hunter's Moons: Astronomers Use Kepler Spacecraft to Search for Exomoons

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0100

Astronomers have discovered a trove of exoplanets --more than 700 worlds in orbit around distant stars, with leads on thousands of additional suspects. So now, naturally, they're beginning to ask: What moons might be in orbit about these planets? [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Works on the European Extremely Large Telescope Begin

TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:35:53 +0100

At least three giant-telescope projects are now under way, and the biggest of them, the European Extremely Large Telescope, is finally breaking ground in Chile (Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories)

Cracks in the Plaques: Mysteries of Alzheimer's Slowly Yielding to New Research

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:30:00 +0100

This has been a big week in Alzheimer's news as scientists put together a clearer picture than ever before of how the disease affects the brain. Three recently published studies have detected the disease with new technologies, hinted at its prevalence, and described at last how it makes its lethal progress through the brain. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Bill Gates backs climate scientists lobbying for large-scale geoengineering

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:18:00 +0100

Other wealthy individuals have also funded a series of reports into the future use of technologies to geoengineer the climate• What is geo-engineering?• Scientists criticise handling of geoengineering pilot projectA small group of leading climate scientists, financially supported by billionaires including Bill Gates, are lobbying governments and international bodies to back experiments into manipulating the climate on a global scale to avoid catastrophic climate change.The scientists, who advocate geoengineering methods such as spraying millions of tonnes of reflective particles of sulphur dioxide 30 miles above earth, argue that a "plan B" for climate change will be needed if the UN and politicians cannot agree to making the necessary cuts in greenhouse gases, and say the US governme...

Flame Dances Aboard Space Station

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:00:08 +0100

Starting a fire on the International Space Station might not sound like such a good idea. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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17 and sudoku clues [video] | GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

17 is the minimum number of clues required to give a unique sudoku solution – but how did mathematicians prove this?For those who aren't familiar with it, sudoku is a popular logic-based puzzle where numbers are placed into a 9×9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids contain just one of the digits between 1 and 9. Sudoku has been around for a long time but was popularised by the Japanese under its current name, which comes from the Japanese for single number. Sudoku puzzles are published in thousands of daily newspapers around the world as partially completed grids, each of which is designed to have a unique solution. Of course, sudoku's popularity has led to a number of mathematical questions focused on its unique solutions, such as, how many unique su...

Ethical Questions Surround `Electrical Thinking Cap' that Improves Mental Functions

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Child using transcranial direct current stimulation What if a drug could improve learning and cognition and had no untoward medical consequences? Wouldn t it be justified to make it widely available? A group of scientists concluded three years ago that it would be. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Memory And Silence - A Complex Relationship

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

People who suffer a traumatic experience often don't talk about it, and many forget it over time. But not talking about something doesn't always mean you'll forget it; if you try to force yourself not to think about white bears, soon you'll be imagining polar bears doing the polka. A group of psychological scientists explore the relationship between silence and memories in a new paper published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Psychedelic drugs: more a case of 'turn off, tune in, drop out' | Johnjoe McFadden

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Magic mushrooms work by shutting down parts of the brain, not expanding the mind, according to new researchSix thousand years ago palaeolithic hunters painted images on the walls of the Selva Pascuala caves in Spain that look remarkably similar to locally abundant Psilocybe hispanica, one of the many "magic mushrooms" that contains the hallucinogen psilocybin. The same or similar mushrooms have been used throughout the ages to induce states of religious ecstasy, spiritual enlightenment, mystical meanderings or simply to have a great time. But how do they work? Timothy Leary, who famously told a generation of Americans to "turn on, tune in, drop out", claimed these "mind-expanding chemicals … acts as a chemical key – it opens the mind, frees the nervous system of its ordinary patterns a...

Birth-control fight unlikely to hurt Obama, his strategists say

Los Angeles Times - Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Democratic strategists think that most U.S. Catholic women believe birth control should be available and that people who oppose Obama because of a new rule for employers would not vote for him anyway.Even as angry Catholic leaders vow to fight a new federal requirement that most employers include contraceptives in their health insurance coverage, the Obama administration believes any political damage will be limited because it's on the side of women's rights. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

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At a planned train trench, an archaeological treasure trove

Los Angeles Times - Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

A Spanish silver coin dating from 1816 is among the artifacts a 30-member team of archaeologists has unearthed next to railroad tracks in front of the San Gabriel Mission.Archaeologist Deanna Jones couldn't believe her eyes as she hunched over a shallow pit dug next to railroad tracks in front of the San Gabriel Mission. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

National Professional Science Master's Association Presents...

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:14 +0100

“Preparing Graduates for Challenging and Rewarding Careers in the Biotechnology Industry”(PRWeb February 03, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9159630.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

invivodata Co-Founder Dr. Saul Shiffman Recognized by Carnegie Science...

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:14 +0100

Shiffman Recognized for Groundbreaking Research in Patient Data Collection(PRWeb February 03, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9161843.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

Neuronal transplants for treatment of obesity

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:58:00 +0100

There are many different factors which go into whether animals (or humans) develop obesity and diabetes. Different sensitivity to different chemicals, in different areas of the body and brain, can cause major differences in feeding behavior, body weight, fat, and insulin sensitivity. And now we’ve learned that changes in one circuit of the hypothalamus could make a big difference in a certain kind of obesity in mice. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

More Americans Seeking Love Online: Study

Fertility News - Doctors Lounge — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Dating websites offer romance, but 'science' behind claims is called sketchy (Source: Fertility News - Doctors Lounge)

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Women born to older mothers have a higher risk of developing breast cancer

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology) A new study analyses the influence that certain birth and infancy characteristics have on mammographic density -- an important indicator of breast cancer risk. The results reveal that women born to mothers aged over 39 years and women who were taller and thinner than the average girl prior to puberty have a higher breast density. This brings with it an increased risk of developing breast cancer. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Cognitive problems common among non-demented elderly

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Karolinska Institutet) Both subjective and objective cognitive impairment are highly common among non-demented elderly Swedes, with an overall prevalence of 39 percent and 25 percent respectively, according to a nationwide twin study by researchers at the Aging Research Center of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The study confirms higher education as a major protective factor and stresses the importance of environmental aspects over genes in mild cognitive disorders in old age. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

The best medicine for productivity

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Haifa) A worker experiencing the stress of intense workdays might develop somatic symptoms, such as stomachache or headache, which will eventually lead to taking leave of absence. But when the individual's supervisor offers emotional and instrumental support, the employee is more likely to recover without needing to take that extra afternoon or day off. This has been shown in a new study from the University of Haifa. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

East views the world differently to West

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Economic & Social Research Council) Cultural differences between the West and East are well documented, but a study shows that concrete differences also exist in how British and Chinese people recognize people and the world around them. Easterners really do look at the world differently to Westerners, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Established journal Evolutionary Applications to publish under open-access model

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Wiley-Blackwell) Wiley-Blackwell, the scientific, technical, medical and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons Inc., today announced that Evolutionary Applications has joined the Wiley Open Access publishing program. All newly published articles in the journal will be open access and free to view, download and share for non-commercial use. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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Playing RFID tag with sheets of paper

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Inderscience Publishers) Researchers in France have developed a way to deposit a thin aluminum RFID tag onto paper that not only reduces the amount of metal needed for the tag, and so the cost, but could open up RFID tagging to many more systems, even allowing a single printed sheet or flyer to be tagged. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Independent record companies are committed to innovation

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Carlos III University of Madrid) A study carried out by researchers at Universidad Carlos III of Madrid analyzes, for the first time, the independent label sector in Spain. It describes both the wide range of activities and strategies that these firms use, and their presence in new networks and digital services. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Time = money = less happiness, study from Rotman School of Management finds

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management) What does "free time" mean to you? When you're not at work, do you pass the time -- or spend it? The difference may impact how happy you are. A new study shows people who put a price on their time are more likely to feel impatient when they're not using it to earn money. And that hurts their ability to derive happiness during leisure activities. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Gender wage gap shrunk faster than previously thought

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Georgia) The gap in wages between men and women has decreased sharply over the past 30 years, and a new University of Georgia study reveals that decline was even greater than previously recognized. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Following a natural experiment of guideline adaptation and early implementation: a mixed-methods study of facilitation

Implementation Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Facilitation of evidence-based practice is a multifaceted process and a team effort. Communication and relationship-building are key components. The practical aspects of facilitation explicated in this study validate what has been previously noted in the literature and expand what is known about facilitation process and activity. (Source: Implementation Science)

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Wayne State study finds strategy shift with age can lead to navigational difficulties

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research) A Wayne State University researcher believes studying people's ability to find their way around may help explain why loss of mental capacity occurs with age. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Online dating research shows cupid's arrow is turning digital

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Rochester) Online dating has not only shed its stigma, it has surpassed all forms of matchmaking in the United States other than meeting through friends, according to a new analysis of research on the burgeoning relationship industry. But the industry's claims to offering a "science-based" approach with sophisticated algorithm-based matching have not been substantiated by independent researchers and, therefore, "should be given little credence," the authors conclude. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Positive parenting during early childhood may prevent obesity

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine) Programs that support parents during their child's early years hold promise for obesity prevention, according to a new study in the online Feb. 6 issue of Pediatrics. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Children hospitalized at alarming rate due to abuse

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Yale University) In one year alone, over 4,500 children in the United States were hospitalized due to child abuse, and 300 of them died of their injuries, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study. The findings are published in the March 2012 issue of Pediatrics published online Feb. 6. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Australian Floods Force Thousands from their Homes

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:40:00 +0100

By Rebekah Kebede PERTH (Reuters) - Thousands of Australians were forced from their homes on Monday because of floods that have risen to record levels in some areas and killed one person, and authorities issued warnings for more than a dozen rivers in Queensland and New South Wales states. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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"Atherosclerosis"; +115 new citations

Atherosclerosis — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:12:01 +0100

115 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: "Atherosclerosis" These pubmed results were generated on 2012/02/05PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources. (Source: Atherosclerosis)

San Onofre nuclear power plant incidents draw attention

Los Angeles Times - Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:18:00 +0100

A radiation leak, the discovery of tube damage and a worker falling into a reactor pool all happened within days of one another.The San Onofre nuclear power plant came under renewed scrutiny last week after a small radiation leak and the discovery of extensive tube damage. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

China Bans Airlines from Joining EU Emissions Scheme

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:11:00 +0100

By Chris Buckley BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Monday barred its airlines from joining an EU scheme that could charge for carbon emissions from flights in and out of Europe, escalating a global trade row over the taxing of foreign carriers. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Women with diabetes warned to take precautions when having a baby

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:01:04 +0100

Diabetic mothers-to-be have high risk of giving birth to children with congenital abnormality, study saysWomen who have diabetes are almost four times more likely to have a baby with a birth defect, research reveals.One out of 13 mothers-to-be with either Type 1 or Type 2 of the disease on giving birth have a child with a major congenital abnormality as a direct result of their condition. Overall for such women, the risk of having a child with a birth defect of whatever kind is 7%, according to the journal Diabetologia. The risk of having a baby who has a birth defect is 2% in females without diabetes.Researchers led by Ruth Bell from Newcastle University reached their conclusions after studying 401,149 single-baby pregnancies between 1996 and 2008 in the north of England, 1,677 of them pr...

The “Black Widow”: Arsenic and Britain’s First Serial Killer

The Poison Review — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:35:21 +0100

The Daily Mail (U.K.) has a fascinating story today about Mary Ann Cotton (1832 – 1873), Britain’s first serial killer. According to the author, Professor of Criminology David Wilson, a serial killer is someone who kills more than three people over a time period of more than thirty days. Cotton more than met this definition: Few have heard of the so-called “Black Widow” killer who posed as a wife, widow, mother, friend and nurse to murder perhaps as many as 21 victims [over a period of almost 20 years], living off her husbands before eventually claiming their estates. Two decades before Jack the Ripper would terrorist the streets of Whitechapel in London, Mary Ann Cotton had already become a killing machine, perhaps murdering as many as eight of her own children, se...

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Key to immune cell's 'internal guidance' system discovered

ScienceDaily Headlines — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:38:38 +0100

Researchers have discovered the molecular pathway that enables receptors inside immune cells to find, and flag, fragments of pathogens trying to invade a host. The discovery of the role played by the molecule CD74 could help immunologists investigate treatments that offer better immune responses against cancers, viruses and bacteria, and lead to more efficient vaccines. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Early study suggests nanodiamonds safe for implants

ScienceDaily Headlines — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:37:37 +0100

As the number of knee and hip joint replacements grows, nanodiamond coatings could answer problems related to metal surfaces. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Genetic variant increases risk of common type stroke

ScienceDaily Headlines — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:37:37 +0100

A genetic variant that increases the risk of a common type of stroke has been identified by scientists. This is one of the few genetic variants to date to be associated with risk of stroke and the discovery opens up new possibilities for treatment. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Spaghetti western reveals differences between human and monkey brains

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:03:00 +0100

A 'neurocinematic' comparison provides clues about evolution of the human brainMonkeys are closely related to us and their brains have long served as an indispensable model for understanding how our own brain works. But we're separated from each other by millions of years of evolution, so there are some major differences between their brains and ours. On the one hand, we can't assume that the results from experiments on their brains can be generalized to humans. But on the other, a better understanding of our differences can provide important clues about the evolutionary forces that shaped the human brain. A new method may help to overcome some of the difficulties in comparing the human and monkey brains. To test the method, researchers scanned the brains of humans and macaque monkeys whil...

Mystery bird: mistletoebird, Dicaeum hirundinaceum | @GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:30:01 +0100

This distinctive Australian mystery bird is named for one of its life history traits (includes video) Mistletoebird, Dicaeum hirundinaceum (protonym, Motacilla hirundinacea), Shaw, 1792, also known as the mistletoe flowerpecker, the Australian flowerpecker or as the fire-breasted flowerpecker, photographed in New South Wales, Australia. Image: Marie-Louise Ng, 24 December 2011 (with permission) [velociraptorize].Nikon D7000 Question: This distinctive Australian mystery bird is named for one of its life history traits. What trait is that? Can you identify this bird's taxonomic family and species? Response: This is an adult male mistletoebird, Dicaeum hirundinaceum, which is the only Australian representative of the flowerpecker family, Dicaeidae, a group of passerines that originated in sou...

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Today's mystery bird for you to identify | @GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:30:01 +0100

This handsome Ethiopian mystery bird is placed into several taxonomic families, depending upon which authority you refer toMystery Bird photographed at Lalibela, northern Ethiopia (Africa). [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]Image: Dan Logen, 9 February 2011 (with permission) [velociraptorize].Nikon D300s, 200-400 mm lens at 400, f/5.6, 1/800 sec, ISO 800 Question: This handsome African mystery bird is endemic to Ethiopia and Eritrea. It also is placed into several taxonomic families, depending upon which authority you are referring to. Can you identify this mystery bird's taxonomic family(ies) and species?The Rules:1. Keep in mind that people live in zillions of different time zones, and some people are following on their smart phones. So let everyone play the game. Don't spoi...

How to Make Electricity Using Plants and Sunshine

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:00:08 +0100

When plants engage in photosynthesis , sunlight breaks apart water and CO2 to release oxygen and build plant--and people--food. It's cheap and ubiquitous but not much use for powering a home. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Human Waste-Powered Robots May Be Future of Machines

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0100

Today's robots that fly, jump or roll around must refuel or recharge as does any gadget that runs out of energy. Tomorrow's new generation of self-sustaining robots might keep going nearly forever by grazing on dead insects, rotting plant matter or even human waste. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

"San Diego Demonoid": you mean that dead opossum?

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:53:00 +0100

By night, I work as a technical research scientist, writer of papers and so on, but by day I walk the beaches of the world, looking for partially decomposed mystery carcasses and identifying them. Kidding: of course I don t, but you get the idea thanks in no small part to the Montauk Monster flap of 2008 , I ve become known as the guy who identifies weird carcasses. In fact, so many queries of this sort come in via email that I don t have time to blog about them anymore. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Advances and New Research in the Treatment of Kidney Cancer

Cancer Network — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:00:02 +0100

CancerNetwork speaks with Dr. Michael Atkins, who has extensive clinical experience in kidney cancer and development of various new treatments, and is presenting this weekend during the renal cancer translational science session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2012 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. (Source: Cancer Network)

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Orange Rinds May Help Rid Cows of E. Coli

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

Name : Todd Callaway [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Peeling Away Microbes

Scientific American Topic - Medical Technology — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

Name : Todd Callaway [More] (Source: Scientific American Topic - Medical Technology)

Birdbooker Report 208 | @GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0100

Compiled by an ardent bibliophile, this weekly report includes books about mosses, scientific art and stream ecology that have been newly published in North America and the UKBooks to the ceiling, Books to the sky,My pile of books is a mile high.How I love them! How I need them!I'll have a long beard by the time I read them. ~ Arnold Lobel [1933-1987] author of many popular children's books. Compiled by Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, the Birdbooker Report is a long-running weekly report listing the wide variety of nature, natural history, ecology, animal behaviour, science and history books that have been newly released or republished in North America and in the UK. The books listed here were received by Ian during the previous week, courtesy of these various publishing houses. New and Recent ...

Two Deaths: A Poet And A Beetle

NPR Health and Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:58:00 +0100

Poet Wislawa Szymborska had an eye for the smallest, the gentlest, the hard-to-notice creatures on Earth and this week she bid them all adieu. Krulwich remembers Wislawa Szymborska.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

The sorry state of L.A.'s sidewalks; California's high-speed rail project; the immigration plans of Republican presidential candidates

Los Angeles Times - Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Cracked and broken (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

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Sacrificing the desert to save the Earth

Los Angeles Times - Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Environmentalists are torn over the high cost of breaking reliance on fossil fuels. Public comment has been sought, but insiders are calling the shots.Construction cranes rise like storks 40 stories above the Mojave Desert. In their midst, the "power tower" emerges, wrapped in scaffolding and looking like a multistage rocket. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

Battling Lung Cancer With Combination Drug Therapy

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Combination drug therapy may be needed to combat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Van Andel Research Institute (VARI). The study, "STAT3 is Activated by JAK2 Independent of Key Oncogenic Driver Mutation in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma," was published online by the Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE. The study found that in NSCLC - the most common form of lung cancer - that the STAT3 gene is activated in some NSCLC cell lines by the JAK2 protein... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Researchers develop method of directing stem cells to increase bone formation and bone strength

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of California - Davis Health System) A research team led by UC Davis Health System scientists has developed a novel technique to enhance bone growth by using a molecule which, when injected into the bloodstream, directs the body's stem cells to travel to the surface of bones. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Satisfaction, Motivation, and Future of Community Preceptors (Robyn Latessa MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Findings from repeat of longitudinal study conducted in one state of all AHEC community-based primary care preceptors of health science students, comparing current findings with those from six years earlier, and reporting on satisfaction, motivation, incentives/rewards valued, reasons for teaching, likelihood to continue, and discussion of implications. (Source: Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded)

High-speed rail ... or fail?

Los Angeles Times - Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:22:00 +0100

A bullet train official tries to answer tough questions about soaring costs and judging the risks of new technology. Can it be built faster, better and cheaper?When it comes to California's plans for high-speed rail, scads of people have strong opinions. But that shouldn't be a surprise. (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

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More Than One Blow For A Concussion In Football

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:00:08 +0100

As you watch the Patriots and Giants smash into each other Sunday, consider this. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Piltdown Man: British archaeology's greatest hoax | Robin McKie

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:05:35 +0100

Discussion of the Piltdown Skull, by John Cooke, presents its discoverers in an almost holy atmosphere. Keith is seated while Smith Woodward stands behind him in front of a table with pieces of skull on it. Also standing, with a picture of Charles Darwin behind him, is the benign figure of Charles Dawson. "The way the painting is structured suggests Darwin is passing on his mantle to Dawson," says Russell. "The former had the theory, the latter had provided it, it is being suggested."Certainly, the Wizard of Sussex had come far. He was now feted as one of the world's greatest archaeologists and would have been knighted, as were Keith and Smith Woodward, had he not died of septicaemia in 1916. Kindly and rotund, the figure of Dawson looks the acme of Edwardian rectitude, a successful s...

Peter Seeberger: we can treat malaria for less

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:05:11 +0100

Artemisinin is the most effective malaria treatment yet discovered. Peter Seeberger has found a way to to make it from the waste products of its current manufactureArtemisinin, a drug extracted from the sweet wormwood plant, is the most effective treatment for malaria ever discovered. Every year, millions of doses of artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) are donated to Africa and Asia, greatly reducing the worldwide burden of the parasitical disease. But extracting artemisinin is expensive and because it takes time to cultivate the plant there are often bottlenecks in supply.But Peter H Seeberger, the director of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, has just announced that he and colleague François Lévesque have discovered a simple and cost-effectiv...

Rupert Sheldrake: the 'heretic' at odds with scientific dogma

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:04:00 +0100

Rupert Sheldrake has researched telepathy in dogs, crystals and Chinese medicine in his quest to explore phenomena that science finds hard to explainIt is not often, in liberal north London, that you come face to face with a heretic, but Rupert Sheldrake has worn that mantle, pretty cheerfully, for 30 years now. Sitting in his book-lined study, overlooking Hampstead Heath, he appears a highly unlikely candidate for apostasy; he seems more like the Cambridge biochemistry don he once was, one of the brightest Darwinians of his generation, winner of the university botany prize, researcher at the Royal Society, Harvard scholar and fellow of Clare College.All that, though, was before he was cast out into the wilderness. Sheldrake's untouchable status was conferred one morning in 1981 when, a co...

Science Explainer: The Physics of Football [Video]

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Slow-motion replays of deep passes have mesmerized fans of American football for decades. The impossibly long, steady arc of a well-thrown ball is a thing of beauty. In contrast, players sometimes refer to wobbly passes as ugly ducks, although just why isn't entirely clear, since ducks fly pretty well. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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Mystery bird: blue pitta, Hydrornis cyanea | @GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:30:01 +0100

This southeast Asian mystery bird is atypical amongst those species with similar habits (includes gorgeous video!) Blue pitta, Hydrornis cyanea, (protonym, Pitta cyanea) Blyth, 1843, also known as the lesser blue pitta, photographed at the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Chaiyaphum, Thailand. Image: Alex Vargas, 10 January 2012 (with permission) [velociraptorize].Nikon D5000, Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR 1/10s f/5.6 at 420.0mm iso500, With a Kenko 1.4X Teleconverter on. Question: This southeast Asian mystery bird is atypical amongst those species with similar habits. Can you tell me in what way it is atypical? Can you identify this mystery bird's taxonomic family and species? Response: Adult male blue pitta, Hydrornis cyanea, a medium-sized passerine that is placed into Pittidae. The pi...

Science News » Gene Regulator in Brain’s Executive Hub Tracked Across Lifespan – NIH study

National Institute of Mental Health — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:45:47 +0100

For the first time, scientists have tracked the activity, across the lifespan, of an environmentally responsive regulatory mechanism that turns genes on and off in the brain’s executive hub. Among key findings of the study by National Institutes of Health scientists: genes implicated in schizophrenia and autism turn out to be members of a select club of genes in which regulatory activity peaks during an environmentally-sensitive critical period in development. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health)

20 Million Years Later, Russians Work To Drill Into Lake

NPR Health and Science — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:25:10 +0100

Russian researchers in Antarctica are on the verge of piercing a hole through two miles of ice into an ancient lake, untouched by the light of day for some 20 million years. But it'll be a delicate process to break through without disturbing the pristine waters. Guest host David Green speaks with Antarctic researcher John Priscu about the process.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

Russian Scientists Poised to be First to Reach Ice-Buried Antarctic Lake

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0100

At a tiny outpost in the middle of Antarctica, Russian scientists are poised to become the first humans to reach a massive liquid lake that has been cut off from the sunlit world for millennia, and may house uniquely adapted life forms that are new to science. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Brain Injury Rate 7 Times Greater among U.S. Prisoners

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

A car accident, a rough tackle, an unexpected tumble. The number of ways to bang up the brain are almost as numerous as the people who sustain these injuries. And only recently has it become clear just how damaging a seemingly minor knock can be. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is no longer just a condition acknowledged in military personnel or football players and other professional athletes. Each year some 1.7 million civilians will suffer an injury that disrupts the function of their brains, qualifying it as a TBI. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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Lies We Tell Ourselves: How Deception Leads to Self-Deception (preview)

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar , a skeptical Judas Iscariot questions with faux innocence (“Don’t you get me wrong/I only want to know”) the messiah’s deific nature: “Jesus Christ Superstar/Do you think you’re what they say you are?” [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Space cats [video] | @GrrlScientist

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:00:01 +0100

Just in time for our Caturday morning video smile, an astronomy video about catsHere's an astronomy video about cats, just in time for our Caturday morning video smile! This video is a chat with (a man whose name will delight birdwatchers everywhere) Brant Widgeon, who is an Astronomical Image Enhancement Engineer. He's the guy who takes x-ray images of galaxies and other celestial formations and colour enhances them so they are transformed into gorgeous screensavers for your computers. I know this will shock you, but Mr Widgeon's job is actually quite challenging. As you will see in this video, one of the most technically challenging parts of Mr Widgeon's job is dealing with ... you got it ... space cats:Visit AndyFreeberg's YouTube channel [video link]. "Hello? I trust you and I love you...

Adaptive Designs In Clinical Drug Development Conference, 26 - 27 March 2012, London

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Join SMi at their Adaptive Designs in Clinical Drug Development conference to be held on the 26th & 27th March at the Grange Holborn in London. This event is the premier event of its kind in Europe and the only event to focus exclusively on how adaptive designs in clinical drug development. With more flexibility, faster development timelines and significant monetary savings, an adaptive design trial is the way forward. JÃ¼rgen Hummel, Associate Statistical Science Director, PPD has joined the speaker line-up... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Genes Linked To Alzheimer's Are The Same For Early- And Late-Onset

Health News from Medical News Today — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

The same gene mutations linked to inherited, early-onset Alzheimer's disease have been found in people with the more common late-onset form of the illness. The discovery by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis may lead doctors and researchers to change the way Alzheimer's disease is classified. They reported their findings in the online journal PLoS One (Public Library of Science)... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Editorial

Forensic Science International — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:54:50 +0100

(Source: Forensic Science International)

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Editorial Board

Forensic Science International — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:54:50 +0100

(Source: Forensic Science International)

[Comment] XMRV and CFS—the sad end of a story

LANCET — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Scientific papers on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) often evoke much debate and emotional reaction, as exemplified by the recent discussions in The Lancet on the PACE trial. Also, the potential role of a retrovirus in CFS kindled a fierce controversy which has recently culminated. In 2009, in Science, Lombardi and colleagues described the occurrence of the xenotropic murine leukaemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV), a gammaretrovirus, in white blood cells in 67% of patients with CFS and in 3·7% of healthy controls. (Source: LANCET)

Snakes Compete for Rooftops as Floods Hit East Australia

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:25:00 +0100

SYDNEY, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Thousands of Australians were cutoff by floodwaters on Saturday as heavy rain broke river banks [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Homeless Project Residents Drink Less If Booze Ban Is Lifted

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:30:00 +0100

This Sunday, millions of Americans will sit down in front of their television or computer, crack open a few beers, and watch the Super Bowl. But if those viewers live in a housing project for the homeless, that booze could get them booted back out to the street. Many homeless housing projects have strict abstinence policies, and require residents to be completely sober. Permitting alcohol, many community organizers reason, would enable addictions and promote a downward spiral into continued drinking and declining health. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Cancer campaigners say levels of fat, salt and sugar in food must be reduced

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:43:00 +0100

Health researchers claim maintaining healthy lifestyle and eating well could prevent as many as a third of all cancersFoodstuffs and drinks need to contain less sugar, salt and fat in order to help combat the growing number of people developing cancer, campaigners against the disease have said.The call from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) came as it released fresh estimates that the number of Britons being diagnosed with cancer annually will rise to almost 400,000 by 2030.The UK will see about 396,000 new cases of cancer a year in 2030 – a 30% rise on the 304,000 seen in 2008 – according to WCRF projections released today to mark World Cancer Day.Its analysis of the likely increase in cancer cases in all 27 EU member states by 2030 says that the UK will have the 16th biggest prop...

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Science behind the big freeze: is climate change bringing the Arctic to Europe?

The Independent - Science — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0100

The bitterly cold weather sweeping Britain and the rest of Europe has been linked by scientists with the ice-free seas of the Arctic, where global warming is exerting its greatest influence. (Source: The Independent - Science)

Whole exome sequencing identifies cause of metabolic disease

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:26:26 +0100

Sequencing a patient's entire genome to discover the source of his or her disease is not routine, but geneticists are getting close. A case report shows how researchers can combine a simple blood test with an "executive summary" scan of the genome to diagnose a severe glycosylation disorder. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Hearing metaphors activates brain regions involved in sensory experience

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:26:26 +0100

New brain imaging research reveals that a region of the brain important for sensing texture through touch, the parietal operculum, is also activated when someone listens to a sentence with a textural metaphor. The same region is not activated when a similar sentence expressing the meaning of the metaphor is heard. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Entropy in the kitchen | Jon Butterworth | Life & Physics

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:11:00 +0100

One of the best discussions I've had in the comments on this blog was about entropy, and it took us from black holes to a cup of tea. This excellent video completes the journey, and then someEntropy always increases, and this is the most obvious way of telling which way time is running. It's known as the second law of thermodynamics. It's fascinating, to the extent that the discussion about a cup of tea at the end of this blog about black holes and fuzzballs was at least as interesting as the seminar which inspired the article in the first place. If you share my fascination, I recommend this video on time and entropy, which I was pointed to on twitter by Sean Carroll.As they say in the film, electromagnetism and gravity are symmetric under a change of time direction - they work just the sa...

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A lonely heart can make you sick: Middle aged divorced women vulnerable to contracting HIV

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:09:09 +0100

Newly divorced middle aged women are more vulnerable to contract HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, according to new research, because they tend to let their guard down with new sexual partners and avoid using protection since they are not afraid of getting pregnant. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Why do cells age? Discovery of extremely long-lived proteins may provide insight into cell aging and neurodegenerative diseases

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:09:09 +0100

One of the big mysteries in biology is why cells age. Now scientists report that they have discovered a weakness in a component of brain cells that may explain how the aging process occurs in the brain. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

DIY science: should you try this at home?

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:59:00 +0100

When Richard Handl was arrested for attempting to split the atom on his stove, he joined a growing band of home experimenters cooking up all kinds of trouble behind the kitchen doorÄngelholm is a pretty southern Swedish town, famed for its clay cuckoo manufacturing, a clay cuckoo being a kind of ocarina, which is a kind of flute. The crime rate here is practically zero. Except one of its residents was last year arrested for trying to split the atom in his kitchen. His name is Richard Handl and he buzzes me into his first-floor flat.I wanted to meet Richard because I keep seeing reports of home science experimenters clashing with the authorities. There's been a spate of them this past year or two.I glance into Richard's kitchen and recognise his cooker from the news. It was horrendously, a...

Jacqueline Rose: a life in writing

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:55:08 +0100

'Victimhood is something that happens but when you turn it into an identity you're psychically and politically finished'One day, Jacqueline Rose came across a troubling passage in Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu. The narrator, Marcel, lies beside his sleeping lover Albertine and masturbates against her. "It seemed to me at those moments," writes Proust in Carol Clark's recent Penguin translation, "that I possessed her more completely, like an unconscious part of dumb nature." Professor Rose, feminist and psychoanalytic critic, bristled. "I thought 'This is ridiculous – she'd have woken up by now!' I had my feminist reaction – which is not my most obvious default position – which is just let the woman speak."So Rose decided to awaken Proust's lover from her implausible slumber....

Animalwatch: Siberian freeze confuses wildlife hibernation patterns

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:30:00 +0100

Just as it seemed that spring had arrived early, a cruel Siberian freeze has blown in and left wildlife in a state of confusion. Balmy temperatures in January were a wake-up call for many creatures, with reports of frogspawn in the West Country and West Wales, and sightings of ladybirds over southern England, even though ladybirds are supposed to spend the winter dormant in dense vegetation or bark crevices. A few butterflies have also been flitting around, particularly red admirals and peacocks, and even red-tailed bumblebees have buzzed around, identified by the red tail poking out from their big hairy bodies.Some hibernating mammals also broke cover and started foraging. Small hedgehogs were seen wandering around, although their larger, older fellows have stayed hibernating. A few bats ...

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Podcast: Spider Webs, Ancient Plants, and the Science of Massage

ScienceNOW — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:59:19 +0100

Listen to a roundup of some of our favorite stories from this week (Source: ScienceNOW)

Schism over H5N1 Avian Flu Research Leaks Out

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:44:00 +0100

Caption: Electron micrograph of H5N1 virus (gold) Image: CDC/Courtesy of Cynthia Goldsmith; Jacqueline Katz; Sherif R. Zaki NEW YORK Sparks flew Thursday night at a New York Academy of Sciences panel discussion about whether or not certain recent research into the H5N1 avian flu virus has created a major biosecurity threat and what, if anything, to do about it. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

In the Eye of the Creationist Storm

ScienceNOW — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:36:17 +0100

Bruce Kendall says he's proud to call himself "a Jesus man." For the past... (Source: ScienceNOW)

Interested in an iPad Programming Class?

NN/LM Middle Atlantic Region Blog — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:32:57 +0100

Carnegie Mellon University, known as one of the nation’s leading computer science schools, offered a course on iPad programming. On the first day, the 30-person class saw 90 students show up and had a 75-student waiting list. The school is putting the course lectures online for free on iTunesU. The course is intended to help [...] (Source: NN/LM Middle Atlantic Region Blog)

ScienceShot: Double-Star System Hosts Ancient World

ScienceNOW — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:24:16 +0100

Both suns are 2 billion years older than Earth (Source: ScienceNOW)

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Air Guns Shake Up Earthquake Monitoring

ScienceNOW — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:17:06 +0100

A new device may help researchers keep an eye on changing stresses along fault zones (Source: ScienceNOW)

‘The Science of Yoga’ Considers the Practice’s Benefits

NYT Health — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:56:04 +0100

William J. Broad explores yoga’s winding path and weighs claims about the practice’s benefits. (Source: NYT Health)

Biotic and Abiotic Reduction and Solubilization of Pu(IV)O2•xH2O(am) as Affected by Anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA)

Environmental Science and Technology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:52:21 +0100

Environmental Science & TechnologyDOI: 10.1021/es2030752 (Source: Environmental Science and Technology)

Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 Released

Science Policy News - FYI - The American Institute of Physics — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:28:31 +0100

(Source: Science Policy News - FYI - The American Institute of Physics)

France Picks Five More University Groups for Major Investment

ScienceNOW — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:20:31 +0100

PARIS—French Prime Minister François Fillon today announced that five more conglomerates of universities and... (Source: ScienceNOW)

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High-Efficiency Removal of NOx Using a Combined Adsorption-Discharge Plasma Catalytic Process

Environmental Science and Technology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:06:53 +0100

Environmental Science & TechnologyDOI: 10.1021/es203405c (Source: Environmental Science and Technology)

'Arctic Oscilliation' Behind Season's Mixed Winter Weather

NPR Health and Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0100

For snow fans in the contiguous US, this winter has left much to be desired. The warm and mild season in the lower 48 and the wild snow dumps and cold weather up north in Alaska can be blamed largely on a weather pattern called "arctic oscillation." Audie Cornish gets an explanation of the weather phenomenon from meteorologist Jeffrey Masters.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

'Arctic Oscilliation' Responsible For Mixed Winter Weather

NPR Health and Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0100

New USDA Map May Mean Earlier Planting In North

NPR Health and Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0100

A new map out from the USDA has some northern gardeners hoping to grow plants that used to be considered too fragile for cold weather zones. The hardiness zone chart is about a half zone warmer than the last one issued in 1990. The USDA says the changes are not due to global warming, but to more sophisticated mapping methods. Seed sellers and buyers say that, whatever the reason, the warmer temperatures expand possibilities for planting this spring.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

Close Super Bowl Boosts Ad At End

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:43:08 +0100

Advertisers will drop $3.5 million for a 30-second spot during Sunday’s Super Bowl. But to get the most bang for their buck, they might want to play their ad right after the game ends--not during it. Because if it's a close one, the time slot right after the final gun should have the most sway with viewers. So says a study in the Journal of Advertising . [ Colleen C. Bee and Robert Madrigal, It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose, It’s How The Game Is Played: The Influence of Suspenseful Sports Programming on Advertising (forthcoming, no link yet)] [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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Ecological and Environmental Issues Faced by a Developing Tibet

Environmental Science and Technology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:29:39 +0100

Environmental Science & TechnologyDOI: 10.1021/es2047188 (Source: Environmental Science and Technology)

A Time for Unity

AIBS BioScience Editorials — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:27:54 +0100

Although the US public remains for the most part favorably disposed to scientists, politically inspired efforts to discredit some kinds of science continue and could gain traction during what is likely to be an angry election year. Researchers, especially those working in fields that do not seem to offer the near-term promise of profitable products, have good reason to be apprehensive about their funding. Budget anxieties are driving up pressure on legislators to enact substantial cuts, and the brinksmanship on Capitol Hill suggests that ill-considered measures could be enacted through political grandstanding. Researchers worried about the future of the research enterprise should make efforts to stay informed and be ready to argue for its importance whenever the opportunity arises. The Un...

White House Begins to Map Course toward Bio-Based Economy

Washington Watch — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:26:34 +0100

Politicians and pundits clogged the airwaves last year with rhetoric about the state of the nation's economy. Amid this noise, a few economic policy initiatives did begin to take shape. For instance, last fall, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a request for comments on a draft policy to stimulate the bioeconomy. Scientists have long asserted that research is an investment that yields economic prosperity. A growing number of scientists and engineers have more recently advised that the biological sciences are poised to inspire transformative discoveries that can solve persistent problems while stimulating new economic opportunities. Indeed, in 2009, the National Research Council (NRC) released a 112-page report, A New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuri...

Director of Biology Professional Science Masters - Illinois Institute of Technology

AIBS Classifieds — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:26:32 +0100

The Biology Division at Illinois Institute of Technology seeks candidates for Director of Biology Professional Science Masters (PSM) programs with significant experience at the interface of biology, industry, and government. For further information see http://iit.edu/csl/bio/people/openings.shtml (Source: AIBS Classifieds)

High-precision map of Milky Way's magnetic fields charted

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:15:15 +0100

Scientists have pooled their radio observations into a database, producing the highest precision map to date of the magnetic field within our own Milky Way galaxy. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

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Placebos and distraction: New study shows how to boost the power of pain relief, without drugs

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:15:15 +0100

Placebos reduce pain by creating an expectation of relief. Distraction -- say, doing a puzzle -- relieves it by keeping the brain busy. But do they use the same brain processes? Neuromaging suggests they do. When applying a placebo, scientists see activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. That's the part of the brain that controls high-level cognitive functions like working memory and attention -- which is what you use to do that distracting puzzle. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Schooling protects refugee children from disease

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:15:15 +0100

Refugee children have scant access to medical care and are particularly vulnerable to disease. Fresh research results show that just a few hours of schooling a week may have a pronounced positive impact on their health not only in childhood but later in life when they achieve adulthood. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

The complex relationship between memory and silence

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:15:15 +0100

Regular use of vitamin and mineral supplements could reduce the risk of colon cancer, study suggests

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:15:15 +0100

Could the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in a regular diet help to reduce the risk of colon cancer and protect against carcinogens? A study published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology found that rats given regular multivitamin and mineral supplements showed a significantly lower risk of developing colon cancer when they were exposed to carcinogens. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Rare mutations may help explain aneurysm in high-risk families

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:14:14 +0100

An innovative approach to genome screening has provided clues about rare mutations that may make people susceptible to brain aneurysms, predisposing them to brain bleeds, according to preliminary research. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Warfarin and aspirin are similar in heart failure treatment, study suggests

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:14:14 +0100

In the largest and longest head-to-head comparison of two anti-clotting medications, warfarin and aspirin were similar in preventing deaths and strokes in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to new research. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

New hope for patients with brain tumors

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:11:11 +0100

In the United States, each year, approximately 10,000 patients are affected by recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. Now, a novel investigational device – available only at clinical trial sites – is offering new hope to these patients. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Coughing and other respiratory symptoms improve within weeks of smoking cessation

ScienceDaily Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:11:11 +0100

If the proven long-term benefits of smoking cessation are not enough to motivate young adults to stop smoking, a new study shows that 18- to 24-year olds who stop smoking for at least two weeks report substantially fewer respiratory symptoms, especially coughing. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Seeing visions: Science's annual visual challenge – in pictures

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:03:00 +0100

Our pick of the most alluring and innovative entries to the 2011 International Science & Engineering Visual Challenge (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)

For Healthy Cities, Government and Business Need to Reverse Roles

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0100

Okay, I have to be honest with you. I love a city, and a downtown with walkways and tunnels and bus stops that tell me where my buses are via GPS and everything else, but sometimes you can just have more connectivity than you need. Remember the internet-connected toaster, that singed the weather forecast into your morning toast? Well, meet the Big Belly Solar Trash Compactor, a precocious trash can that lives in Raleigh, NC. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

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Creationist School Bill Looks Doomed in Indiana

ScienceNOW — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:45:08 +0100

Legislators in Indiana appear to have fallen short of their goal of injecting creationism... (Source: ScienceNOW)

China Greenhouse Gas Emissions Set to Rise Well Past U.S.

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:40:00 +0100

By 2015, China will emit nearly 50 percent more greenhouse gases than the United States, a top Chinese energy researcher said yesterday. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Autotrophic Denitrification in Microbial Fuel Cells Treating Low Ionic Strength Waters

Environmental Science and Technology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:32:20 +0100

Environmental Science & TechnologyDOI: 10.1021/es2030609 (Source: Environmental Science and Technology)

Bioscience a Bright Spot for Jobs in Arizona

Health — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:11:12 +0100

Arizona's biosciences sector is expanding, boosted in Southern Arizona by expansion at companies such as Ventana Medical Systems/Roche. Ventana, a UA technology spinoff that makes tissue-diagnostics instruments, now employs about 1,200 people in Arizona. (Source: Health)

Isotopes Hint at North Korean Nuclear Weapons Tests in 2010

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

By Geoff Brumfiel of Nature magazineNorth Korea may have conducted two covert nuclear weapons tests in 2010, according to a fresh analysis of radioisotope data.The claim has drawn scepticism from some nuclear-weapons experts. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

Drone Technology Reaches New Heights

NPR Health and Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are replacing boots on the ground in some wars. Commercially, UAVs are being used for things like crop-dusting and flood mapping. Experts discuss advances in drone technology and how to address legal and privacy concerns that stem from their use.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us (Source: NPR Health and Science)

Highest-ever levels of multi-drug-resistant TB revealed | Sarah Boseley

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:50:00 +0100

This study ought to give further impetus to the drive to find them.TB is an area that I know the IHME will be addressing before long, as part of its project, which has taken five years of work so far, to get the best possible handle on global mortality rates from all causes. They have tackled maternal mortality – their study showed it was lower than thought at a third of a million rather than half a million a year – and given us the first global data on breast and cervical cancer. Since their director Christopher Murray has been studying TB for 30 years, expect some interesting data from that quarter at some point.The WHO report is not (necessarily) about deaths, but they are up against the same problems as IHME – the absence of good data or, in some countries, any data.But a lot of ...

Lineage Identity

This Week in Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:34:13 +0100

Segregation of endoderm and mesoderm lineages is a fundamental event in early embryogenesis. Using sea urchin embryos, Sethi et al. (p. 590) found that Notch and canonical Wnt pathways crosstalk … [Read more] (Source: This Week in Science)

Natural Resistance

This Week in Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:34:13 +0100

Avermectins are the most widely used class of anthelmintic drugs, both as pesticides and as treatments for nematode-borne diseases, with the evolution of resistance presenting a major global health and … [Read more] (Source: This Week in Science)